Passages from the diary of a late physician / by Samuel Warren, author of 'Ten thousand a-year'.

  • Samuel Warren
Date:
[1890]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Passages from the diary of a late physician / by Samuel Warren, author of 'Ten thousand a-year'. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    ed iini' ol tlieiu m ii lueatli ; ami ussouii us tlie liall dooi- was tliruwii tipeii by the alarmed porter—for all tlie servants had a siis[iioimi of tlie dreadful nature of tlie engagement wliicli liad taken Liird Sfckin^tou away so early in a carriage-and-four, and were now await- ing liis return in the utmost trepidation —she rushed in. 'Is Lord—Lord Seckington—is he at home ?' she gasped. ' Yes—no,' replied the affrighted por- ter in a breath. ' Do you know any- thing about his lordship?' By this time the valet, who had accompanied him to France and had returned with him, made hi.s appearance, and whispered to the porter, wlio then, in a somewhat less respectful tone, inquired, ' Does his lordship expect you, ma'am ?' ' No, luy lord does not, I can answer for that,' interposed the valet: 'he thinks you're at this moment in Paris.' 'Silence, sir! show me instantly into the dining-room,' said the lady, as in- dignanily as her violent agitation would admit of. ' Excuse me, ma'am,' said the porter, placing himself between her and the dining-room door, ' I—I cannot admit you. Are you a relation of his lord- ship's, or what? What's your business here?' 'Hinder me at your peril, sirrah!' exclaimed Mrs. St. Helen—for she it was—with all her naturally command- ing tone and manner ; and at the same time pushing him gently aside, with- out further opposition she entered the dining-room. ' Order in ray maid from the chaise !' .said Mrs. St. Helen, sinking exhausted in the nearest chair, scarce able to stand, or to see wlietlier her orders were attended to. There was a sudden muster of servants in the hall for a few moments ; and after a liurried conver- sation togetlier, the dining-room door was opened by the valet. ' I hope, ma'am, you won't make it necessary, ma'am, for us to do our duty. 1 know, ma'am, who you are,' he com- menced with a determined air. ' Audacious wretch !' exclaimed Mrs. St. Helen, roused for a moment by his extraordinary insolence, 'it you don't instantly leave this room, sir—' ' Ah, ma'am, leave the room? Pray, ma'am, are you mistress here ? / leave tlie room, ma'am? You will leave it first, ma'am, I can tell you, if it comes to that—that's flat!' he continued, pnsiiing wider open the door. ' Do yon tliink, ma'am, I'm going to be lalkeil to in this way, by you ? I know w ho yon are, ma'am, quite well 1 Do yon thiuk I hadn't my eyes and my ears opeu at Paris? My lord's dune tlie handsome thing by you, and you ought not to come following him about the town in this way : ah, ma'am, you may look, but I fancy my lord's done with you ; he's got other llsh to fry justiiow —believe me.' At that moment a ve- hicle was heard approaching rapidly, and a hubbub in the hall drew the va- let tliitlier. ' Drive away that chaise !' exclaimed half a dozen voices in the street, and Lord Seckiiigton's carriage dashed up to the door. Mrs. St. Helen sprung to the window, hearing her cliaise ordered away, expecting .some new insult was preparing t'oi' lier : and belield the miserable ligure of Lord Seckington in the act of being carried out of tlie carriage, his head covered over with a blood-spotted white hand- kerchief. She ruslied from the dining- room, and, with a piercing shriek, was flying down the steps, when one of the agitated servants accidentally tripped her foot, and she fell with her forehead upon the corner of one of the steps, where she lay insensible and disregard- ed till Lord Seckington had been car- ried in, when the hall door was closed. There she nu'glit have continued, but for tlie humanity of one or two persons in the crowd that had gatliered round Lord Seckington's carriage. They rais- ed her from the ground ; and having been informed from the area that she did not belong tliere, and that they knew nothing wliateverabout her, they carried her, still insensible from the stunning effects of her fall and of her violent mental agitation, to the nearest public-house, whither her attendant in the chaise followed her. From the representations and entreaties of the latter, the surly publican consented to receive Mrs. St. Helen for the present into his house, and a medical man was sent for. This was the once beautiful, happy, innocent wife and mother, Emma St. Helen, who had torn herself frcmi her helpless children, her affectionate hus- band ; who had opened her foolish and guilty ear and heart to the tempter; who had fled from the pure arms of her husband to the blasting serpent-like embraces of an adulterer ; wlio could piity lier? Here, discarded and insulted by the menials of her seducer, she lay dishonoured in her extremity among low and unwilling mercenaries; her beauty entirely gone ; wasted to a skele- ton ; heart-broken ; paralyzed with the dreadful spectacle of her dead para- mour, whose hand had, ]icrliaps, that morning too, been dyed with the blood of her husband! It seemed that, as soon as ever she